The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced plans to modernize the effluent limitations guidelines and standards (ELGs) on oil and gas extraction wastewater discharges to lower energy costs while supporting environmentally sustainable water reuse. The regulatory review will evaluate modern technologies and management strategies to provide flexibility for produced water to be treated for beneficial Read More
Author: Heather Syverson
Organizations Laud Bipartisan Bill to Improve Rural Water Financing Options
The National Rural Water Association (NRWA) and Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) have announced support for a bipartisan bill to provide small and rural water systems access to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP). The Assistance for Rural Water Systems Act of 2025 aims to help rural communities complete critical Read More
Headline Alert: National Consumer Watchdog Group Highlights Contaminants in Public Water Supplies
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a consumer watchdog organization, published its latest Tap Water Database. The EWG’s latest analysis includes water quality data collected between 2021 and 2023 from nearly 50,000 water systems. It identified 324 contaminants in drinking water across the country, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The release of the database could cause concern from members of Read More
Nine PFAS Added to Toxics Release Inventory
The year began with the addition of nine per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the list of chemicals covered by the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) collects the data annually from facilities in designated industry sectors and Federal facilities that manufacture, process, or otherwise use TRI-listed chemicals above set quantities. Read More
Insight into Draft Risk Assessment About PFAS in Biosolids
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) released a draft risk assessment in January of the potential human health risks associated with the presence of toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals in biosolids. Specifically, the scientific evaluation of PFAS in sewage sludge (biosolids) assessed the risk of two PFAS compounds, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), Read More
New Health-Based Recommendations for PFAS in Bodies of Water
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced draft national recommendations for health-based levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in waterbodies. Once final, these recommended criteria can be used by States and authorized Tribes to establish water quality standards that help protect people from exposure through consuming water, fish and shellfish from waterbodies that may be polluted by Read More